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I have been savoring Daniel Gilbert’s book Stumbling on Happiness for the past several months. (I trade-up for books, and when I come across one I really like, I’ll deliberately read it slowly, forcing myself to put it down, all as a means of extending the pleasure.) Anyway, in Gilbert’s chapter on rationalization, he talks about our “psychological immune systems.” We all cook the facts and interpret reality in way that allows us to reach the conclusions we want to.In one example, people were told that they scored either very well or very poorly on an IQ or job performance test. They were then given the opportunity to peruse articles on the accuracy and integrity of such tests. Interestingly, those that were told they performed well spent most of their time reading articles that touted the importance and validity of such tests. Those who were told they they performed poorly spent most of their time reading articles that disputed the importance and validity of such tests.What does this mean for marketers? Simply put: We must think of how we can help people rationalize their decisions to invest in a trade-up purchase. At Barefoot, we call this “Reasons to Rationalize” (RTR) something every bit as important as the well-known and established marketing term “Reasons to Believe” (RTB). What information and insights via traditional print vehichles, such as detailed and enticing brochures, and non-traditional vehichles, such as insightful, fact-filled e-newsletters, might be provided to help a buyer rationalize her decision to trade-up–before, during and after the actual purchase?Many trade-up purchases happen with a tinge of guilt or uncertainty, after all, there are more affordable options available. Yet we hunger for these things that make us happy. The good news is that our brains are designed to help us feel good about our purchases; we just need a the smallest of pushes to convince us of what we already want to be convinced of.